Shorthanded Celtics have found the right formula

With an 8-1 record since All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo injured his knee, the Celtics are exceeded expectations with veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett showing the way under the guidance of coach Doc Rivers.

Tom Thibodeau had the entire summer to plan for life without his All-Star point guard.

When Derrick Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the NBA playoffs last April 28, it was obvious the Chicago Bulls, coached by Thibodeau, would not have the former most valuable player for a good chunk of the 2012-13 season.

The Celtics, on the other hand, didn’t have anywhere near the advance notice that they would be playing without their All-Star point guard, Rajon Rondo, for nearly half a season.

Rondo tore the ACL in his right knee on Jan. 25, leaving the Celtics without the player who directs their offense with his creativity.

“You don’t replace those type of players individually,’’ said Thibodeau last week when the Bulls visited the TD Garden to face the Celtics. “You have to do it collectively. You need everyone else to step up. You do it as a team. If you do the right things, you’ll give yourself a chance to win.’’

The Bulls have gotten by without Rose, going 28-17 before dropping five of seven games this month to fall to 30-22, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

They have been led by a pair of players – Luol Deng and Joakim Noah – who will be in tonight’s NBA All-Star Game, plus the strong play of veteran Carlos Boozer, allowing the Bulls to stay afloat as they wait for Rose.

The Celtics, who were three games under .500 when Rondo exited, have gone 8-1 in his absence, losing only to the Charlotte Bobcats in the closing seconds, one night after playing a grueling triple-overtime game against the Denver Nuggets.

They were counted out by many when Rondo’s diagnosis was revealed three weeks ago this afternoon.

Instead of quietly fading away, though, the Celtics have put together their best stretch by making up for the loss of Rondo with ball movement, tighter defense and balanced scoring.

How long that continues is a question, especially with nine of the next 11 games on the road. But for now, the Celtics have found a way to make up for the loss of Rondo, who was one of the primary reasons why they were within one win of the NBA Finals last spring.

“The thing about the Celtics, with Rajon going down, I think the mark of that team is they have championship-caliber player,’’ said Thibodeau, who was Rivers’ top assistant before being hired by the Bulls. “They realize they have to step it up. The uniqueness of Pierce and Garnett allows you to run a lot of offense through them. They’ve been down players before. They always manage to get around it.

“They’ve had a challenging season. (Avery) Bradley was hurt early. They’ve had injuries. They’ve had the winning streaks, the losing streaks. They’ve had the challenge of getting a lot of new players acclimated to their system. There’s a lot of moving parts to that.

“They’ve found a niche. They know what works. Never underestimate what Pierce and Garnett bring to that team. Doc’s been through everything imaginable. He’s a great coach and provides great leadership for them.

“Just like last year, everyone had written them off. You can never write this team off.’’

The Celtics will return from the All-Star break on Denver with a 28-24 record, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference and 21/2 games behind the fourth-place Brooklyn Nets.

There are only 12 home games left on the schedule, 18 on the road. With only 10 healthy players (including the little-used Fab Melo), the Celtics figure to hit a wall at some point, but they look like a team that has found a formula that works after being forced to change on the fly.

“These last two or three weeks, we’ve gotten better,’’ said Garnett. “I know everybody thought we were going to sink because Rondo went out, but we’ve been fighting for those guys and for ourselves. That’s all you can ask.

“You ask a group of guys to go out and give everything they have, play the right way, follow the game plan, see what happens. I’m pleased. I’m not pleased with where we are to where we could be, but with everything that’s been involved this year, I’ll take it.’’